


Wolf And Cub

by Shade_Penn1



Series: Croft and Son [6]
Category: Devil May Cry, Tomb Raider (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Mother-Son Relationship, Surprise Ending, demon attack, don't mess with the Crofts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 09:10:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18362960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shade_Penn1/pseuds/Shade_Penn1
Summary: (Direct Follow-up to It's Not An Infection)Oh, right, the Yamato's still a thing.





	Wolf And Cub

**Fortuna, 13 years ago**

_Lara's heart pounded so hard, she thought it might burst forth. She couldn't believe everything what happened on this island. She investigated a cult, but found so much more than the surface known to everyone, just beneath their feet. Then again, what did she expect given that? She paced in her room, still remembering the swarming army storming the city and taking into custody the instigators of this cult - or at least the higher-ups._

_Lara made sure to keep low, stay out of the way because the citizens were still bewildered and suspicious about what was going on - a riot could break out at any minute and Lara needed to be ready to leave. Her hand found her stomach, a strange thrill having nothing to do with adrenaline rushing down her spine. She thought it was the flu, or some bug going around._

_The truth was still sinking in, even though each day the symptoms began making themselves known. She could really have done without the morning sickness._

* * *

The box was a long rectangle, secured with several locks and gold clasps. Lara signed off on the relic earlier, and she could finally get a look at this mysterious item. A broken katana, found on some Mallet Island in the years before. There was a minor kerfuffle over an incident which happened there. Museums tried to put a date and era to the sword, but a string of deaths always caused it to switch places. Rumor spread that it was cursed, attracted monsters - demons.

Lara had the relic for almost a day and nothing happened yet, though she would not dare tempt fate. Not when all manner of supernatural and superstition was turning out to be less than fabricated. She had enough to deal with anyway, so far there was no response her contact sent out regarding Nero's father.

Almost two days since that, and she rubbed her brow. She moved the box to the empty table, cleared for examining the blade. A small trolley was beside it, and she pulled on her latex gloves.

She opened the box, and paused as she glanced around the empty room. Nope, nothing. Except the katana split in two, lying in protective material.

Well, time to get to work.

* * *

Not for the first time, Nero almost stumbled on his skateboard. He cursed under his breath, right arm covered by not only a long sleeve over his hand, but a medical sling. The official story to the school was the break hadn't set right, and needed to be kept steady. Nero was just glad he didn't have to look at it. His mother and Sam still accepting him was great and all, but his stomach rolled when he had to see his arm.

He didn't even know his father and already he was screwing up his life.

Getting used to the sling left him off-balance, and this was the third time he almost fell off his board. He adjusted his helmet, because his mother might kill him if he went without it. He gritted his teeth, but coming up to the corner of the street he had to pull back on the board, to stop from hitting the motorcycle which came up to the curb.

Nero's brows furrowed, the woman on the bike was staring straight ahead, dark hair cut short round her face. Something off was strapped to her back, like a long barrel. "Hey," he said in realization, "you can't ride a motorbike without a helmet."

The woman gazed at him, and Nero blinked at the sight of the scar on her nose, one eye reddish, the other blue-green. She raised a brow. "You mean so I can look as fashionable as your helmet hair will be?"

Nero bristled. "What did you say?!" he fumed, and the woman laughing only egged him on as the engine of her motorcycle revved, taking off. Nero scowled and crossed the street, grumbling under his breath as he continued on to the museum.

Sam could have signed his permission slip for the upcoming school trip, but Nero wanted to visit his mother at the museum. Crossing in front of an alleyway, Nero winced as through the sleeve, his demon arm glowed. Great, just another weird thing which he didn't understand.

* * *

Lara glanced up at the light. It flickered. She sighed. ' _Well, it looks like it'll need to be changed soon._ ' Just as well, these lights were a bit too harsh, and made it hard to find more minute details. The door clacked, and Lara glanced up again - she straightened when she saw Nero's head of hair peeking around the corner. "What are you doing here? It's almost 5." And well beyond closing time.

Nero shrugged as he set his skateboard against the wall. "The security guard let me in, and I wanted you to sign my permission slip." he said, trying not to seem bashful.

Lara found herself smiling, but reframed from ruffling his hair with her gloves still on. "Alright, I'll finish up with this and we can pick up dinner."

Nero beamed, and came up to the other side of the table. He eyed the katana, its shattered blades glinting. "Where'd this come from?"

"It was excavated from Mallet Island, found among the rubble. Despite its current state, it's in remarkable condition." Lara explained.

Nero nodded, tilting his head. "Still looks new, how old is it?"

That was a tricky queston to answer. "The report says the blade is at least two thousand years old, but it's been tested to be incredibly sharp still. The blade hadn't dulled with age, and there's no trace of decay anywhere."

Her son hummed, his mouth tugging to one side. "Maybe it's a magic sword."

Lara chuckled at how serious he was. "Anything's possible." she said lightly. She glanced up at the ceiling, all the lights flickering now. "Let me put this away before we're left in the dark. What do you want for supper?"

Nero tilted his head up, glancing at the ceiling as well. "How about -" A scream cut him off, somewhere down the hall. He jumped, whirling around as several gunshots fired off. With a good look now, Lara saw a bright glow from his right arm through Nero's sleeve.

The thought of the rumors, the deaths surrounding the sword - Lara tossed the gloves off and pulled Nero by the shoulder with her to the office, locking it behind her. It was for use to any who used the lab, and Lara made sure to keep her extra supplies locked up tight in the safe.

Nero gaped at her as she opened the vault behind the picture by the desk, and his eyes widened as she brought out a gun. "You keep that in your office?"

"It's not my office, and one can never be too careful." Lara replied. She made sure it was loaded before picking up the phone. She stopped short when the dial tone went dead. Along with the lights.

Darkness bathed the room, the only bit of light the dimness from the signs above the door in the lab and hall for emergencies, and the glow on Nero's arm. It washed over his face, fear and uncertainty, eyes flickering to the door. What was going on?

A myriad of things went through Lara's mind, but she dug into the vault. Her fingers searched through the dark, and found the strap on her bag. She tugged it out, and gestured for him to get down. He did so, gaze locked on her. Lara took out a flashlight, and an extra gun she rested in her belt. More weapons were in her bag, but she didn't want to use them. Too much noise could attract unwanted attention.

Lara breathed in deep, her blood rushing through her ears. If she were alone, running from whoever thought to intrude on her work would pay, not send her fleeing. But she wasn't. Lara leaned forward, placing her hands on Nero's shoulders in comfort. "There's an emergency exit in the next hall. We have to be quiet, do you understand?"

Nero's eyes were still wide. He looked just as scared as he had when she saw his arm. "Mom, what's happening?"

Lara wasn't sure how to respond. She breathed in deeply. "I'm not sure. It could be thieves, after the sword perhaps."

Nero's gaze flickered to the door. "T-the guard -" he stopped himself, swallowing. He didn't finish, and Lara squeezed his shoulder, bringing his attention back to her.

Her eyes were hard and fierce. " _Nothing_ will happen to you." Nero stared at her for a moment, before his mouth set in a firm line and he nodded. Lara nodded back, and tugged him to the door.

The lock didn't click, thank god, and Lara slowly opened it. She gazed at the door to the lab, no rustling of the flap or shadows flickering in the light through the window. They just needed to get to the end of the hall, and there around in the corner was their way out.

Lara ducked to the table, Nero on her heels and he stays low, copying her. She paused almost every time to listen for sounds outside. Finally reaching the door, she peered through the glass, and Lara shined the flashlight in the immediate vacinity. Nothing. A dark flicker shot past the end of the hall. Lara killed the light, her spine tingling. ' _What was that_?' she thought, but after a moment, Lara pushed the flap open.

Slowly, because this door creaked when swung too fast. Lara held the door open for Nero to slip out and take the flashlight, before she gently closed it after him. Lara's lungs thirsted for air, but her eyes remained trained on the hall, for any other sign of something amiss. Nero stuck close to her, keeping quiet, but once they reached the end, he let out a quiet gasp.

Lara lifted her hand to cover Nero's eyes, but she knew it was too late. They both saw the body laid out on the ground, the security guard, and shell casings scattered around him. What made Lara's stomach roll were the sight of three... _creatures_ on the body, over it, the sounds of tearing flesh as they ate the corpse.

Were it not for the dread in her stomach, and the weight of the gun in her hand, she wouldn't have thought this could be real, that this was happening. The _things_ seemed to be made of wispy black smoke, like the shadows on the walls, feline in appearance but Lara couldn't be sure.

There were three, and didn't appear to notice them. Lara closed her eyes for a moment, and glanced around the corner - before finding the face of another monster right there. Lara stared, just for a second, and the sight of its maw opening caused Lara to act. She fired pointblank into the opening.

The monster screeched, blown back by the force and the shot echoed in Lara's ears. There went subtlety, and her heart sank when the feline only shook itself and snarled. Another three appeared behind it - _from_ the shadows.

"Back to the lab!" Lara pushed Nero, and he went running. Lara pulled the shotgun from her bag, and fired a round of bullets at the creatures closest.

Giving them time. Lara got into the lab, and hit the emergency lock. She jumped back as several thuds slammed into the metal. It didn't give, but the fact it dented sent a shot of alarm through her.

Lara scanned the room, focusing on the table. "Help me move this, we'll barricade the door. Hopefully it'll give us enough time." she said, and shoved the items off the table. The katana went down, but she couldn't care less right now.

Nero pushed it with her to the door, and they gripped it to shove it flat against the wall. "Time for what?"

"To find another way out." Lara replied.

Nero fell against the wall, sliding down and his shoulders heaved. "What are those things?"

"I don't know, but they clearly aren't friendly." Lara replied. "Now you see why I never let you have a pet."

Nero laughed, terrified and startled. "And if we get out of here I'll never ask again."

 _If_. Lara's thoughts whirling, before focusing razor sharp on protecting her son. "We're not going to die here." she said, and pulled him to his feet. She had no idea what those creatures were, but right now the only thing which mattered was; they were getting out. And, can she kill it?

The meager barricade thudded, and the glass window broke. The snarls and growls went down to Lara's bones.

"Nero, grab anything you can and shove it against the door." Lara said. He dragged chairs from the office, and Lara pushed a file cabinet across the floor. It shrieked along the tiles, and Lara breathed heavily once she got it to the barrier.

Nero sat beside her, both of them leaning against the barricade and his chest heaved. "What if the barrier can't hold?"

Lara hadn't wanted to think about it, about her son being caught in a situaton like this. Or even what _this_ was. Her hands balled into fists. "You're still small enough to hide in the safe. You climb in there, and I'll take out as many as I can for you to run."

Nero's eyes widened. "What? I'm not going to let you die!" he jumped as another thump hit the door.

"Nero, look at me." Lara grabbed his face, craddling it. She memorized every feature, those from her and the most from elsewhere, making sure if the last she saw had to be anything, she wanted it to be him. "You run, understand me? You are the most important thing in my life, and you have to live, will you do that for me?"

Nero unslung his right arm, reaching up with both hands to place his palms against hers. He stared back, defiance blazing in his eyes, before it muted and he squeezed them shut. His grip tightened on her hands. His eyes shot open as the door thudded hard enough to send the table against it back.

Lara wrapped her arms around Nero and pulled him from the path of the falling debris. She covered him, the furniture crashing to the floor and the cabinet toppled over, breaking the tiles with its landing. Lara let out a shaky breath, grabbing the gun at her waist as the growling beyond the _unbarricaded_ door reached them. "Get to the office, now." she pushed at Nero, making him move.

The head of the cat poked through the door, and Lara shot it between the eyes. It jerked back, yowling. Lara reached for another gun in her bag, and Nero made for the office. His foot caught on the broken leg of a chair, and he went down with a hard thud.

Lara lunged for him as another monster leapt into the room. She skidded in front of him, firing bullet after bullet into the creature. Something cracked in the 'skin' it had, but Lara grunted as the cat collided with her. She bore the brunt of the weight to avoid landing on Nero, leaning her head back to avoid the jaws snapping for her neck.

One set of claws sank deep into her shoulder. " _Ahhhh!_ " The pain burned through it, like being cauterized again with a heated arrow.

 _"NO!_ "

* * *

Nero's heart thudded so hard, he was sure it was going to give out. His world began to tilt as his mother screamed, blood running down her arm. The sound was going to haunt his nightmares. His wonderful, loving mother. Who never resented him, or rejected him. His favorite, most precious person in the world he could never live without.

Who was going to die, who was going to be taken away from him.

A fury with the force of what he'd never felt before flooded through him. His eyes burned red, a blue aura flaring to life around him as he reached for the closest thing he could. The handle of the broken katana found its way into his grasp. " _NO!_ "

He swung, but to his shock, before he could move an inch, a spectral blade stabbed through the creature. It yowled, and its 'skin' seemed to shatter. His mother gasped, clutching her shoulder as she staggered back. Nero reached for her with his other arm, but a spectral hand caught her back, and steadied her.

Nero froze, his demonic arm glowing brighter as the broken blade resonated. Somewhere inside his mind, he heard a voice say, **"Power, I want more power.** " Nero's head throbbed, and he squinted his eyes against the light. In a moment, it died down, enough for him to stare at the katana, now reformed.

His mother's heavy breathing brought his attention back to her, and she's staring at him, then behind him. Somehow, Nero knows there's a spectral form there. "Well, this is new." she said.

Nero blinked. "I...I guess it is." he could only say. Worry colored his face. "Your shoulder-"

"It's nothing which hasn't happened before. The injury, not the monster." His mother replied. She glanced sharply at the door as more growls came through. Something grim shined in her eyes. "I suppose even if I told you to, you wouldn't hide?"

"You can ground me later, _when_ we get out of here." Nero replied.

His mother sighed heavily as she grabbed her shotgun. "Of all times for you to be rebellious." She fired at the first monster which dared pass the door.

Another charged through, and Nero swiped his arm. The blade shattered the creature. This was two, there were only five-six more, right?

' _We can do this_.' Nero thought. His mother fired at another creature, stunning it and Nero finished it off. His red eyes began flickering, turning back and forth to blue. The aura surrounding him started fading. Panic rose. ' _What? No, no, no, there can't be a timer!_ '

His thoughts were interrupted by the explosion on the other side end of the hall. A figure skidded into view, and the pulled a barrel over their shoulder, firing something which causes another explosion just short of the creatures. It draws their attention.

Nero's aura fades completly, the spectral figure disappearing. His body is heavy, drained as he collasped to his knees.

* * *

Lara heard her son fall to the floor, expression unfocused and hazy. She knelt beside him, gun trained on the door as she pulled him to her side. The now fixed katana is clutched tightly in his demonic hand. She wasn't sure what to think, but she stopped trying to make sense of strange things a long time ago.

The door shielded them from the bullets fired from the other side, her heart beating a mile a minute. Had someone heard the commotion, had someone called the police? When the firing and screeching died down, footsteps echoed along the hall. The door slid open, and Lara couldn't stop from blinking, unsure of whether she was hallucinating.

It wasn't the police, for one, but a petite woman with short dark hair and heterochromatic eyes, a scar over her nose. What could only be a missile launcher or bazooka was on her back, a blade attached. The woman held up her hands as Lara's gun was trained on her. "Hey, ease up."

Nero groaned, head lolling as he stared at the woman. "It's you, that lady who didn't wear a helmet."

Lara wondered whether he was delirious from being so tired, but her attention snapped to the second figure who walked into the room. What caught her attention wasn't the skull sword handle peering over his shoulder, or the black and white guns he carried or even the red coat he wore. It was his hair, white and falling around his face, bangs swept to the side. Blue eyes. And his face...it was older, with stubble along the jaw.

Lara could only stare, now unsure of whether she was hallucinating. The last time she saw that face, the man was trying to read her some sappy poetry in such a cringy tone it made her both want to laugh and face palm.

The white-haired man's eyes flickered from Lara to Nero, and then to the sword in his grip. Something in his demeanour changed, though Lara wasn't quite sure what. The smirk which formed on his lips seemed to fit there more easily. "Well, looks like you were right, Lady. This job _is_ actually interesting."

Lara's brows furrowed, and the woman said, "You wanted answers about your son's father, your contact told us you worked late here." she glanced around the wrecked room. "Looks like we got here just in time."

Lara sighed, her gaze never leaving the man. "You look like..." she stopped, frowning.

The man shrugged. "Name's Dante, and sorry to disappoint you, but your baby daddy was my dumbass twin brother, Vergil, not me."

Lara's arm dropped, suddenly even more drained. If Nero wasn't leaning against her, she was sure she'd have collapsed as well. _'This is like a freaking soap opera.'_


End file.
